Dying Thoughts: Third Wish

By Joey Paul

Join Tara and Kaolin in the third book in the Dying Thoughts Series.

It’s finally summer and all Tara Leverton plans to do is spend the time sunbathing, hanging out with Kaolin and doing as little as possible. Her gift has kept her busy and now is the chance for some serious down time before her final year at school.

Her dad on the other hand has other ideas about how Tara should spend her summer. He’s desperate for her to realise that life in the real world isn’t all solving crimes and hanging out with friends. She’s about to discover that their definitions are complete opposites when her dad gets her a summer job at a local charity.

When a scary pattern emerges with the charity’s clients, Tara is thrown into the middle of a new case. Who is killing their clients? And can Tara find out before they come for her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joey Paul
• Release date: Jul 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9780955343759

Joey Paul

Joey Paul is a multi-award-winning indie author, exploring young adult. She has released twenty-one books so far, with another due out in 2024. Her current works include the "Dying Thoughts" series, which is eight books, the "Lights Out" trilogy, the "Cramping Chronicles" series, as well as several standalone novels. She writes across genres, with crime, mystery, paranormal, sci-fi and dystopian being the ones most frequently on her list. She is writing her next two books at the moment, having recently finished her last two.Joey is disabled and a graduate from The Open University with a BA (Hons) in Health & Social Care. When not reading medical textbooks, she enjoys reading crime novels, medical dramas and young adult novels. When she's out and about, she likes looking for Tupperware in the woods with GPS satellites, otherwise known as geocaching. And when she's not doing THAT, she's sleeping! She's 42 and has been writing since she was retired from her job on medical grounds at the age of 19. She plans to write for as long as she has ideas or until someone tells her to stop!

Book preview

-1-

School is not my idea of a fun time, but then if you knew me you’d probably already know that. If I was in government I would certainly change a few laws. One of them would be that school should no longer be compulsory after the age of fourteen. Like they did years ago before they realised that they could torture children for longer by making them actually attend school. I suppose the good thing is that I don’t live in Australia or America because there I think you have to go to school until you’re eighteen and the prospect of that is enough to make me want to shoot myself.

Still, at least the summer holidays started in less than three hours which meant six weeks of lie-ins and no school. I would have coursework to do over that time of course, but I’d leave it to the last minute like I always did. The school holidays are not meant to be filled with work, they’re the time that we’re allowed to do whatever we want to symbolise surviving another year in the urban jungle. I, for one, would be glad to see that back of year ten. You wanna know why? One word, well actually two – Jody Eveson.

Ever since Cassie died Jody hasn’t stopped. I mean, I know that I shouldn’t have hit her and broken her nose but she was asking for it and what else was I supposed to do? She was not the kind of person that you could discuss things rationally with. I stand by the fact that she fully deserved everything she got. It’s just a shame that since then she hasn’t stopped telling people that I was responsible for Cassie’s death. If people didn’t believe her, then why was I spending so much time with the police? The school was split between three groups of people: Those that believed her, those that didn’t (which numbered two, Kaolin and me) and those that just didn’t care.

It would probably have been more bearable if the group of people that didn’t care were made up of more than a few people. Most people believed Jody and most people decided that it was their job to make my life hell until I came up with a proper reason for being with the police. Other than I was just helping the police with their enquiries. It wasn’t even like I could tell them the *real* reason because I doubt that any of them would actually believe me. I suppose I had better explain a few things before it sounds like I’m just some crazy person, which I’m not.

I’m Tara Leverton- yeah, that’s right, Leverton. My dad is the great, all time, famous, Colin Leverton. Although he’s been retired for near enough ten years I still get people coming up to me and telling me how much they love my dad. Or at least I did before the whole school thought I was completely and utterly crazy. I’m lucky enough to be friends with the only person in the whole school who doesn’t think my dad is some kind of sex god. Or that he can get them to meet their favourite celebrity (who will then fall in love with them and give them loads of babies). Or to that effect.

Anyway, I’m fifteen and ever since my mum died when I was six I’ve had this…well…gift. I wouldn’t call it that, I’d call it a pain in the unmentionables, but people seem to be of the general opinion that it’s actually something to be proud of. What is this gift? Well, if I touch something that belonged to someone who died recently, I get treated to a full show of what they did on their death bed. I started working for the police a few months back when I discovered who had really been behind Kaolin’s dad’s murder. I was happy with just Kaolin as a friend, but then Cassie appeared at the beginning of the year and bam, suddenly I had two friends. But, it didn’t last, Cassie was killed by her foster parents and I helped the police track and catch her murderers and put them in the right place: Behind bars where they can rot for the rest of eternity.

That’s why I was helping the police with their enquires, Cassie was blind and it took me forever to be able to see what had happened to her. As you can imagine it’s not the kind of thing that I could just explain to my classmates. Even if I could, I doubt they’d actually believe me. Not that I care that they all hate me. I was a loner before Kaolin came along because I have issues and I don’t need any other friends.

Still, it’d be nice to get through one day without them all poking each other and whispering about me. It’s very hard to not hit them all but I think if I got another detention for fighting my dad would have a heart attack or something. He keeps threatening to make me see a counsellor to deal with my rage and although I like to believe that he wouldn’t dare do it, I’d thought the same when I kept getting no homework detentions…and then he hired a tutor for me. Who just happened to be one of Jody’s minions. I bet she’s glad that she doesn’t have to come over much anymore, considering that she thinks I’m some kind of crazy murderer. Whatever, I don’t care.

I cursed whoever it was that decided I should have to sit through Maths and then English before the summer holidays officially started. All the other schools in the area were either finishing at lunch or pretty soon afterwards and there was us, stuck in school until the usual finishing time – cruelty to children happening right there, but did anyone care? Nope. I suppose that I should have been grateful that we were finishing on a Wednesday afternoon and they weren’t making us wait until the weekend. That had to be a plus.

You would have thought that our teachers were looking forward to the six weeks off as much as we were. But they didn’t seem to show it in our lessons. In previous years once it was the last day of term, then we’d be allowed to do pretty much nothing for the whole hour, but we didn’t this year. It was probably because we were working towards our GCSEs or something. Whatever the reason was, it was irritating as hell and just made me want the end of the day to arrive that much sooner.

Tara? Kaolin hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

What? I replied, forgetting to whisper. She rolled her eyes at me and the rest of the class laughed.

It’s nice to know that you were paying attention, Tara, Mrs. Hutchinson said and I knew then that I wouldn’t be leaving for the school holidays at the same time as everyone else. The hag was going to give me detention for not paying attention or something equally dumb,

Sorry, Mrs. Hutchinson, I said, trying to soothe her anger because let’s face it; I did not want to be the last one to leave tonight.

Seeing as it’s the last day of term, I’ll let you off so long as you can solve this equation, she told me and my heart sank as she pointed to the board. I suck at maths, though if you ask my dad it’s because I don’t apply myself enough. I just don’t see the point in applying myself, it’s not like I’m ever going to have to use Maths in the real world. I mean, yeah it helps being able to count and everything but when do we ever use algebra and equations, and all that crap in real life? Never, which is my point exactly.

Is it a=65? I asked tentatively. I was crossing my fingers under the desk, praying that if it was wrong she’d let me off because at least I’d tried which is the main thing, right?

Correct, I see you were paying attention, she told me and I let out the breath that I’d been holding. Seriously, the holidays could not come quick enough as far as I was concerned. Kaolin nudged me and gave me a smirk as Mrs. Hutchinson carried on the lesson. I was tempted to sink back into a dream land but I thought better of it seeing as I’d already been caught out once.

Maths passed slowly and painfully as Mrs. Hutchinson decided that the only way to make sure I was paying attention was to continually call on me for the answers. Hag.

Just one more lesson, Kaolin said as we made our way to English.

Yeah and what’s the betting that this one will pass just as slowly as all the others.

Come on, Tara, you have to admit it was funny.

What was?

When Mrs. Hutchinson called on you and you were all spaced out, she said, letting a little giggle escape as we waited for Mr. Daniels to call us into class.

No, Kaolin, it was NOT funny. It was embarrassing and as my best friend you should not be laughing, I replied, stone-faced.

Sorry, she said, trying to hide her sniggering. I was going to yell at her again but Mr. Daniels poked his head round the door and signalled for us to file into the classroom before I had a chance. Normally, I would have done it anyway, but I’d already had more than one close call with a teacher today and I didn’t want to push it.

Seeing as it’s the last day of term, I’m sure you are all itching to get out of here and celebrate six weeks off. I thought that today rather than making you do actual work, I’d let you talk amongst yourselves, Mr. Daniels told us; before he could finish a cheer erupted through the classroom. I could have kissed him right then. However, he said, raising his voice. If you have yet to hand in your Shakespeare essay, then you will work silently on that and will continue to do so until it is handed in.

I was suddenly very glad that my dad had threatened me with more lessons with Clarissa. I’d done my essay a few days after it was set and I suddenly felt very sorry for all those poor souls who had left it to the last minute. They were just lucky that Mr. Daniels was giving them the lesson to do it because if they hadn’t done it by now, they would have been given a hefty no homework detention. This is not the best way to end the term. Trust me, I know. Last year I had three to fill my last week. You’d have thought I would have learnt from that without the need for a tutor, but I guess you’d call me a slow learner. Still, *this* was the way I envisioned spending my last day of term, for once Mr. Daniels had gotten it right.

-2-

The end of school came finally, although it felt like I’d been there for a week rather than just a day. At least now it was over for six whole weeks – just me and my duvet, and there would be no reason for Dad to force me to get up either.

Got any plans for the summer? Kaolin asked, as we walked to the bus stop. She was coming back to my house to celebrate the end of term.

Just some quality time with my duvet, I told her.

I’m sure you’re going to have to fight your dad on that one, she replied, laughing.

Nope, as long as I get all my coursework done before we go back in September, he’ll have nothing to complain about.

I doubt he’ll see it that way.

I doubt he’ll get much of a choice, I grinned at her as we got on the bus. We managed to grab a seat near the front and dumped our bags at our feet. People think that all teenagers like to sit at the back of the bus. So that we can be all naughty and make faces at other drivers. Generally – and I speak only for Kaolin and I, because I don’t talk to any other teenagers – we don’t sit at the back of the bus. Probably because we’d pretty much get beaten up by the teenagers that do.

I’m home, I yelled as both Kaolin and I came through the door. I wasn’t sure if Dad was there or whether he as still at whatever meeting he’d muttered about that morning.

I don’t think he’s here, Kaolin said, when all that greeted me was silence.

Fancy a cup of tea? I asked, dumping my bag on the table and heading to the kitchen.

Sure. She followed me, dumping her bag next to mine. It was weird that I wouldn’t have to head back to school for a while, I had that feeling you always get when school ends – that whole, ‘I can’t believe it’ feeling. My last summer before I could leave the school for good. Now that? That I was really looking forward to.

Dad must still be at his meeting, I said, breaking the silence that had fallen over my house.

Another ‘where are they now?’ interview? Kaolin asked. Every so often Dad’s agent calls him with an interview offer from some magazine that is doing an article on what the great Colin Leverton is up to now. Dad always agrees to do them. This always seems to remind people at school that he is actually my father and makes them bug me even more. Though that hasn’t happened recently. Mostly because they all think I’m some kind of crazy murderer who’s knocking off all of her friends, left on the street by police incompetence.

I don’t know, he didn’t mention it and he usually does, I replied. Dad was good like that, giving me some kind of warning so that I could prepare myself for the barrage of questions from stupid little school girls who think my dad is some kind of sex god.

So, what do you want to do to celebrate surviving year ten in one piece? Kaolin asked, changing the subject.

I dunno, eat lots of sugar and take in the fact that this is the last legitimate summer holiday we’ll have. Well, apart from you who is, I’m assuming, planning on going to college and university and all of that crap.

It’s not crap, but yes, I plan to do the whole lot. I don’t have to ask if you are.

In case you were wondering, I do not plan to do any of that, I told her, pouring boiling water into two cups.

Why not? Kaolin asked, looking at me curiously. We’ve had this conversation many times and Kaolin always says that my reasoning for not going to college and onto university is flawed. I tell her that I don’t care what she thinks, that I’m not doing it and not even my dad can make me. We’ve had it more times than I can count, but yet she still asks me. I sighed deeply and started explaining myself for the fiftieth time.

Dad arrived home about two hours after we had. I’d managed to get off the subject of college and the pair of us were watching some stupid movie on TV. That told me that the holidays had truly begun because kids TV was lasting all day, rather than just after school hours.

Hey sweetie, Dad said, giving the top of my head a quick kiss before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Hey, where you been? I asked, not moving from the couch.

I had a meeting, didn’t I tell you?

Yeah, just wondered what kind of meeting.

I’ll tell you later, when we haven’t got company, okay? Dad said. In all honesty it should have set off my warning bells, that he didn’t want to tell me while Kaolin was around, but I guessed that with the end of school and the massive amount of ice cream that the pair of us had consumed I just assumed it was something personal that Dad didn’t want to mention in front of my friend. I thought he was trying to be less embarrassing or something. Ha! That’ll teach me, this is *my* father we’re talking about. The guy who lied for nine years and then slipped it into every day conversation like it was nothing.

Kaolin went home at about nine, when her mum called and asked where she was. She’d stayed with us for dinner and the time had just gotten away from us. So, although her mum yelled and said that she was coming round to pick her up, it wasn’t really any one’s fault.

I’ll come see you tomorrow, I said, as she got into the car. She waved and made a face when her mum said something and drove off. I did not envy her right then, though if I had known what my dad was about to tell me I would have flagged them down and gotten in the back. I would have gladly swapped places with my friend. Except I didn’t know, because I wasn’t psychic (Well, not in the way that I can see the future). I should have known though, I should have realised that I couldn’t trust him.

He waited until it was rather late and I was ready to head off to bed. Tara? Can I have a quick word? he asked, standing at the bottom of the stairs. His face looked a mixture of serious and worried. That really should have been my second warning, but it didn’t hit because he’d gone and lulled me into a false sense of security.

Sure. What’s up?

It’s about that meeting today.

Okay.

I was meeting with a charity. It was about you, Dad stammered. I must have looked really confused because I sure as hell felt it.

What do you mean?

It was about a job for you.

I already have a job, I told him. It was true though. I worked with the police and I even got paid for it. Not much, but enough to make it all the more worthwhile. Though I would have done it whether they paid me or not.

I know. I know that you don’t want to go onto college or university. So, I wondered if you’d thought about what you want to do with your life. I opened my mouth to say something, but he jumped in. And before you tell me you have, I mean *really* thought about it. You can’t work for the police for the rest of your life, can you?

Why not? I asked. I didn’t see why it would be a problem, I mean, I was good at what I did and it didn’t really take much effort on my part. Which is what I liked most about it and I got to help people. Why would I want to give that up?

You’ll want more experience for your future, Dad told me, not really listening to what I’d said.

I will?

Yes, you’ll need it to be able to make an informed decision.

Dad, where is this leading? I asked, suddenly suspicious.

I got you a summer job, he said, sounding rather pleased with himself.

You did WHAT?!? I shrieked. He *had* to be joking around with me, didn’t he? I mean, he wouldn’t really make me go to work during my summer holidays. He wasn’t *that* deluded, was he?

A summer job, and before you start to worry, it’s doing something that you’ll enjoy. I used some of my contacts from the old days for you.

What do you mean?

It’s for a charity that does special days for terminally and seriously ill children and young adults.

And why would that interest me? I asked, still shocked that my dad had even thought for a second that working during the summer would interest me.

It’s similar to your work with the police, isn’t it? Helping people. Yeah, but usually the people I help are either dead or criminals, which means that I don’t have much contact with them. I’m guessing that with a charity I would have to actually communicate with other human beings. Doesn’t my own father realise that I seriously lack any kind of social skills?

-3-

My conversation with Dad lasted a lot longer than I thought it would and ended the way it should have: With me walking off and refusing to come out of my room to talk to him. I had planned to bash it out with Kaolin online but when I booted my computer and logged on, she was no where to be seen. This meant that I had to deal with my anger on my own, which in case you hadn’t guessed, is NOT a good thing.

I ended up sleeping and waking up at some stupid hour of the morning, which did not help my mood. If anything, it just made it worse. What surprised me the most was that Dad wasn’t up; he’s usually awake at the crack of dawn and is always particularly proud of himself for managing it as well.

I made myself a cup of tea and poured out a bowl of cereal and carried them both back up the stairs to my room. I booted up my computer and ate my cereal while I waited for it to load up properly. I was hoping that Kaolin would be online so that I could tell her what my brainless father had done now. I wasn’t that hopeful that she would be seeing as how it wasn’t even 7am yet. That’s right; I was awake before 7am, which would explain why my dad was still sleeping. He’d probably have a heart attack if he knew I was not only up at this time of day, but I had also started on my first cup of tea and had eaten, or was at least eating breakfast. If you hadn’t guessed from what I’ve said in the past, I like my duvet and my bed. On non-school days I am usually prised out of it about midday when Dad has had enough of my lounging around, and demands I get up and do something.

To my surprise, Kaolin *was* online. I pulled up a new IM window and started typing.

Ippydippy98: There you are, you have no idea how glad I am to see you

Kkat: What on earth are you doing up at 6:35am?

Ippydippy98: I could ask you the same thing.

Kkat: I wanted to start on my coursework early so that I didn’t have to worry about it all summer.

Ippydipp98: You really are a peek. I just wanted to tell you what Dad did. You won’t believe it…really you won’t.

Kkat: What did he do this time?

Ippydippy98: He got me a summer job. >:(

Kkat: You are joking?

Ippydippy98: I wish I was. It’s with a charity that does special days for terminally and seriously ill young people. He couldn’t even get me a desk job. He had to get me one where I have to socialise with the general public and we all know how good I am at that!

Kkat: LOL

Ippydippy98: It’s *not* funny. >:(

Kkat: I beg to differ. So you’re gonna what, answer phones or something?

Ippydiipy98: I didn’t bother to ask him, I told him I wasn’t doing it and that was final

Kkat: And he said?

Ippydippy98: That I didn’t have a choice. That he’d used his old time contacts to get me this job and if I insist on telling him that I won’t go to college or even think about it then I had to get some work experience because, and I quote, you can’t work for the police the whole of your life.

Kkat: And you said?

Ippydippy98: Why the hell not? I mean, it’s not like they don't pay me for what I do. And yeah, when I’m older it’s not like I can live off the money they pay me at the moment. But when I’m older it won’t be like they have to keep it a secret anymore.

Kkat: I hate to be the one to tell you this but your dad *does* have a point. If you don’t plan to go to college and you don’t plan to look for full time work, what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?

Ippydippy98: I have to decide NOW?

Kkat: Well, not right this second, but it would be a good idea to think about it, wouldn’t it? Besides you might find you really enjoy working for this charity, it could be a productive summer.

Ippydippy98:I don’t want a productive summer. I want a lazy summer, I want to leave my coursework until the last week like a *normal* fifteen-year-old…

Kkat: I’m a normal fifteen-year-old.

Ippydippy98: No you’re not. You’re a peek and no matter how much I love you I can’t deny that fact :p

Kkat: Whatever. So, what are you going to do?

Ippydippy98: I don’t know…probably bitch and moan about it but go anyway because it’s not like I have a choice.

Kkat: But will you actually *do* the job or just bitch and moan while you’re there?

Ippydippy98: I’ll do whatever they ask me to do and just hope that none of that involves triggering a vision because as upfront as my dad was with them, I doubt he told them that.

Kkat: He might have

Ippydippy98: Kaolin, it took him nine years to tell me! You really reckon he told some charity he’s using to torture his child?

Kkat: No, when you put it like that I guess not. And it’s not torture. You might actually enjoy it.

Ippydippy98: Yeah and YOU might actually leave your coursework until it’s a) a decent time of day and b) the last few weeks of the summer.

Kkat: I just want it out of the way so it doesn’t cut into my laying around time.

Ippydippy98: Liar

Kkat: Well if you’ve finished insulting me, I’m going to get back to work. Shouldn’t you